Filled container gassing apparatus



Oct. 3, 1944. P. E. PEARSON FILLED CONTAINER GASSING APPARATUS 4Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1941 Oct. 3, 1944.

P. E. PEARSON 2,359,671

FILLED CONTAINER GASSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 26, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Oct. 3,1944. PEARSON 2,359,671

FILLED CONTAINER GASS'ING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 26, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet3 M rig M 1944- P. E. PEARSON FILLED CONTAINER GASSING APPARATUS FiledSept. 26, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 R WM WY. A: la

irraynasya Patented Oct. 3, 1944 Paul E. Pearson, Chicago,

tinentalCanOom corporation of New Yo Anim tion September 26. 1941,Serial No. 412,502

150mm. (Cl. 226-68) generally to container closing apparatus andprimarily seeks to provide novel means for driving out air from the headspaces above the product in filled containers Just prior to the closingof said containers and by directing a gaseous medium into said headspaces. More particularly the invention seem to provide certain new anduseful improvements in container head space gassing apparatus of thegeneral nature disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent 2,240,655 issued toAlfred L. Kronquest on May 6, 1941.

In the pa aging of beverages and food products, it is desirable toremove air from the container head spaces prior to the applying andailixing of closures on the con Attempts have been made to attain thisend by various means, as by the drawing of a vacuum or by forcedletting. Such attempts, of which I am at present awar have provennsuccessml because of inefiiciency in the displacement of the air or forother reasons. It is the purpose oi the present invention to providenovel means for emciently displacing the air from the head spaces of thecontainers without objectionable wastage of the gaseous air displacingmedium, preferably nitrogen.

In the patented structure hereinbefore referred to, there is disclosedmeans for efiiciently driving air from the head spaces above the productfilled containers, but no means is provided for or timing the fiow ofthe gaseous The invention relates operation of the apparatus. It is,therefore, an object of the present a con tainer head space gassingapparatus in novel means is included for controlling the air expellinggaseous medium so that it will be directed into the path of travelfollowed by filled containers only when the filled containers areactually present, thereby to avoid wastage of the air expelling gaseousmedium.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the charactersta v including container head space gassing means controlled by contactof container end closures moving in superposed relation with the filledcontainers which are to be gassed.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus of thecharacter stated, means for feeding filled containers to the apparatus,means for feeding end closures to the apparatus and for moving them insuperposed relation with the filled containers, means for controllingthe which Ill, assignor to Conpany, Inc., New York, N. Y., a

feeding of end closures so that no end closure will be fed unless acomplementary filled container is being fed into the apparatus to beclosed by the particular end closure, and novel means for directing agaseous medium into the head spaces above the product in the fille'dcontainers and controlled by contact of the end closures which are to beappliedto said containers so that no gaseous medium will be releasedwhen the proper complement of a. filled container and an end closuretherefor is not passing through the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter stated in which the gaseous medium is directed into thetraveling, containers at a definite station, a gaseous medium manifoldbeing included in the apparatus which is equipped with suitable portingfor directing the gaseous medium into the container head spaces forefliciently driving out air therefrom, and novel valve means forcontrolling the flow oi the gaseous medium through said porting beingprovided and so disposed as to be actuated for opening the valveequipment by contact of an end closure moving in superposed relationwith the particular container being treated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter stated in which the air expelling gaseous medium is directedinto the container head spaces at two spaced stations,

the outflow of the gaseous medium being controlled at each station by anend closure displaced valve actuating lever.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter statedin which novel means is provided for directing the airexpelling gaseous medium into each container head space immediatelyprior to the placement of the complementary end closure thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel lever operatingmeans for valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus of thecharacter stated novel means for controlling the amount of opening ofthe valve.

actuating said several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

2 assaevi In the drawin s:

Figure l is a part plan' view and a part horizontal sectionillustratinga portion of a closing machine embodying the invention.

" Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view illus- I trating the drivingconnections between the closing turret, the container and end closurefeeding turret, the end closure feed, and the means for feeding thecontainers to the container feeding turret.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross section taken on the line 3-4on Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross section taken onthe line 4-4 onFigure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line 5-5 on Figurel. i

In the example of embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, there isillustrated a portion of a container closing machine including a closingturret 5 eqll i with the usual equidis- 2o tantly spaced containersupporting pads i upon which the filled containers 1 are uspported andmoved in said machine. During the amxing of the end closures, the pads 6are lifted by pad lifting means generally designated 8 so as to bringthe containers and the associated covers into assembled relation andinto proper cooperative relation with the attaching means. It is to beunderstood that the invention can be applied to any form of closingmachine generally similar in nature and constructure to that disclosedin the U. S. Letters Patent 1,752,912 issued to Alfred L. Kronquest onApril 1, 1930.

The filled containers, which are to be closed in the closing machine andhave air removed from the head spaces above the "product therein by themeans forming the subject matter of the present invention, are fedtoward the machine by any suitable container feeding mechanism generallydesignated 9. tion, the feeding means 9 takes the form of a feeder screwbut it is to be understood that otherformsof feeding means such as blockchains or a chain belt might be employed.

The feed-in mechanism generally designated 8 5" delivers the filledcontainers 1 onto a supporting table portion [0 between suitable guiderail H and into the receiving pockets l2 formed in equidistantly spacedrelation about the periphery of the container feeding turret l3.Rotation is imparted to the turret I! through suitable gearingconnections "with the main or closing turret i, the latter being powerdriven by any approved means (not shown).

The container feed-in means may be driventhrough the bevel gear issecured to rotate with the turret l3, and through the bevel gear driveconnections generally designated Ii.

Any approved form of end closure feed means generally designated ll maybe employed, and go it is preferred that this end closure feed means becombined with a-suitable control means which will prevent the feeding ofend closures whenever no complementary can bodies are being fed toreceive said end closures. An example of an acceptable form of endclosure feeding means and a no container, no end closure feed control isto be found in the U. S. Letters Patent 1,610,862 issued to Alfred L.Kronquest on December 14,

1926. This end closure feed and feed control 10 means includes endclosure supporting screws ll on which the end closure units I! rest andwhich are rotated in suitably timed relation with the turret movementsby driving connections general- In this particular illustra- 40 in whicha clutch rod 22 is reciprocably mounted. The clutch rod carries a clutchhead 23 which'is opposed to a clutch head 24 carried by a bevel gear IIto which rotation is imparted by the bevel gear Ii hereinbefore referredto. A spring equipment 2. serves to normally hold the clutch head 23 outof contact with the driving clutch head 24, and when these driving headsare thus separated no movement will be imparted to the end closuresupporting and feeding screws I 8. A rocker arm 21 pivotedintermediately of its ends is disposed with one end thereof inengagement with the end of the rod 22 opposite the end which carries theclutch head 23. The other end of the rocker arm 21 is link-connected, asat 28, with an actuator lever II which is fixed on a rock shaft 30 whichalso carries an actuator cam or ramp 3| besidethefeed-inmeansSsoastobeengaged and laterally displaced by containers I, being moved toward theturret II.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that each time-a container 1engages and displaces the member 3|,the arm 2'! will be rocked so as tomove the rod 22 longitudinally and bring about a clutching engagementbetween the heads 23 and 2|, thereby connecting the driving parts indriving relation so as to bring about the feedin of an end closure II tobe subsequently deposited upon the particular container. Thus if nocontalners are moving into the apparatus, the control element 3| willnot be laterally displaced,

theclutchheadsflandflwillremainoutof drivingcontactandno endclosures l9willbe fed from the feed means generally designated ll.

As the end closures is are dropped one by one from the feed means II,they are supported at an outer edge by an arcuate'track 33. The track 33may be equipped with an outer edge portion or upstanding flange 34 forproviding a guideway for the outer edges of the end closures. The endclosures are supported at their inner edges on lugs 35 carried in thepockets 38 formed in equidistantly spaced relation in the peripheraledge portion of the end closure feeding turret 31, said turret beingrotatable with and spaced above the container feeding turret I3hereinbefore referred to, and the pockets therein being aligned with theunderlying pockets in the turret I: so that when filled containers andcomplementary end closures are being conveyed by the turrets l3 and 31they will be disposed in axial alignment with the end closures spacedabove the open tops of the containers.

The supporting function of the trackway 33, 3 is given over at asuitable point to the upper surface of a gassing manifold plate 38 whichis supported in any approved manner on the apparatus framing, as bybeing suspended from the overall cover plate 39 which is rigidlysupported in any approved manner on said framing. The plate II is termeda gassing manifold plate because it is suitably cored out or recessed toprovide a gas manifold therein, and this plate terminates over the pathof travel of the turret closing pad t in an arcuate, cover drop edge 40,said edge being undercut gradually, as at II, in

the manner best illustrated in Figure 5 of the ly designated 2! andincluding a driver sleeve 2| 7 plate 38 onto said containers, andcontinued liftin of the pads serves to move the thus loosely assembledcontainers and end closures into contact with the end closure attachingmeans in a manner well known in the art.

The manifold plate 88 is equipped with a, amfold gas duct 42 fed by aplurality of inlet ducts 43 forming a supply duct 44 whichis connectedwith a source of gaseous medium .(not shown), preferably nitrogen gas.The manifold duct is covered by a cover plat 45.

The gassing of the filled containers, that is, the introduction of thegaseous medium into the head spaces above the product therein for thepurpose of driving air out of said head spaces is accomplished at twoseparate stations, one immediately ahead of that point at which thefilled containers and end closures come into loosely assembled contact,and the other at a point spaced a distance ahead of this loose assemblystation.

' actuator lever 6| inwardly to their normal posi- At the firstencountered, last mentioned station, the manifold plate 38 is equippedwith a gassing port 46 which opens through the bottom thereof and iscentered over the path of movement of and very closely spaced from theupper extremities of the moving can bodies. See Figures 1 and 3. Thisport is controlled by a thin valve disk 41 so as to be opened to bringabout an introduction of air expelling gaseous medium into the headspace of a container only when such a container and its complementaryend closure is passing this station. This opening of the valve iscontrolled by engagement of the complementary end closure, and for thispurpose the valve disk 41 is mounted on one end of a valve lever 48which is fulcrumed in a rubber block 48 inset in the plate 38, as at 50,the free end of the lever extending into an aperture 5| formed in saidplate. An abutment head 52 is mounted in said aperture and is adjustablysecured to the outer edge of the plate by a screw 53. The free end ofthe lever 48 is urged upwardly by a compression spring 54 mounted in asocket 55 in a supporting element 58 which is secured to the undersurface of the abutment head 52 and to the plate 38 by the screw 53. Theabutment head 52 is provided with a beveled shoulder 51 which is opposedby a ball 58 urged inwardly toward the axis of the turret l3 by acompression spring 59 which is mounted in a socket 60 formed in saidhead. The inwardly urged ball 58 engages the outer surface at the freeend of an actuator lever 6| which is pivotally supported, as at 62, uponthe plate 38. It will be obvious by reference to Figures 1 and 3 of thedrawings that the free end of the lever 5| projects into the path ofmovement of the outer edge portion of each end closure 19 which is beingmoved by the turret 31 so as to be displaced outwardly by each passingand closure. free end of the lever 8| by end closure contact causes theball 58 to move outwardly, and the engagement of this ball with thebevel shoulder 51 of the head 52 causes the ball to move downwardly soas to depress the end of the valve lever 48 and cause the valve disk 41to be lifted away from the gas port 48 and permit the gaseous medium,preferably nitrogen gas, to flow out ,of the manifold duct 42 into thehead space above the product in the then passing container 1 forexpelling air from said head space. As soon as the end closure is movesout of contact with the actuator lever 6| the spring 54 will return thevalve lever 48 to its normal; valve closing position, and the spring 59will return the ball 58 and the Each such outward displacement of the beobvious by reference to tions.

It will be observed by reference to Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings thatthe actuatorlever 6| carries a limit pin 63 which projects upwardlybeyond the lever and engages a lug or abutment shoulder 64 carried bythe overall cover 89 so as to limit inward movement of the lever inposition for properly intercepting and being displaced by oncoming endclosures I 8.

The first encountered air expelling or container head space gassingstage having been described just above, the second stage of thistreatment will now be described. At a point spaced a distance beyond thegassing port 46 in the direction of travel of the container end closure,the main gassing duct 42 is provided with a 'depression or enlargement55 which merges into a part circular duct portion which is arrangedconcentrically about the drop edge or plate extremity 48 hereinbeforereferred to. The part circular duct 66 is disposed over the drop edgeundercut 4| in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 5 of thedrawings. The duct 68 opens through two horizontal side delivery portsor slits 61 and through three central, downwardly and forwardly directedports 68 into the space defined by the part circular drop edge 40.

A valve seat 69 is mounted in the duct enlargement 65 and is equippedwith a seat port 18 in an intermediate wall 1| which serves to dividethe manifold at that point into an upper supply portion 12 and a lowerdelivery portion 13, the latter communicating with the ports or slits 61and the ports 68 hereinbefore referred to. Passage of the gaseous mediumthrough the seat port 10 and into the delivery duct portions 13 iscontrolled by a thin valve disk 14 mounted on one end of a valve lever15 which is fulcrumed in a rubberblock 16 inset in the plate 38, as at11, the free end of the lever extending into an aperture 18 formed insaid plate. An abutment head 18 ismounted in said aperture and isadjustably secured to the outer edge of the plate by a screw 80. Thefree end of the lever 15 is urged upwardly by a compression spring 8|mounted in a socket 82 in a supporting element 83 which is secured tothe under surface of the abutment-head 19 and to the plate 38 by thescrew 88. See Figures 1 and 4.

The abuement head His provided with a bevopposed by a ball 85 axis ofthe turret l3 which is mounted in head. "The inwardly outer surface atthe free end of an actuator lever 88 which is pivotally supported, as at89, upon the plate. 'It will Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings that thislever 88 also projects into the path of movement of the outer edgeportion of each end closure H! which is being moved by the turret!" soas to be displaced outwardly by each passing end closure. Each suchoutward displacement of the free end of the lever 88 by endclosurecontact causes the ball 85 to move outwardly, and the engagement of thisball with the bevel shoulder 84 of the head 19 causes the ball to movedownwardly so' as to displace the'outer end'of the valve lever 15 andcause the valve disk 14 to be lifted away from the seat port 18 andpermit the above the product in the container I then passingthe platedrop edge portion ll and about to receive its complementary end closureit traveling over the upper surface of the plate 38 for 'expelling airfrom said head space. 'As soon as the end closure it moves out ofcontact with the actuator lever it the spring 8i will return the valvelever." to its normal, valve closing position, and the spring '8 willrehim the ball 85 and the actuator lever ll inwardly to their normalpositions.

Like the actuator lever ll, the actuator lever ll carries a limit pin IIwhich engages a lug or closure eng i edge portion recessed to p ovid asupporting ledge 52 which engages under the edge extremity of each endclosure is in the manner illustrated in Figure 4. It will also beapparent from Figure 1 that the end extremity 93 of the-actuator leverI! normally extends over or slightly beyond the drop edge portion ll ofthe manifold plate I. so as to act as an edge support for each endclosure II as it is being moved into loosely assembled relation with thecomplementary or underlying container so as to aid in causing each endclosure to drop fiat or horizontally onto the upwardly risingcomplementary container.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that when no filledcontainers are being fed into the apparatus by the means generallydesignated I, no complementary end closures is will be fed from theclosure feeding means II. For each filled container being fed into theapparatus, however, 'a complementary end closure i9 will be delivered bythe feeding means generally designated II for assembly with andattachment to that container. The containers and end closures are movedin vertically spaced and axially aligned relation by the turretstructure i3, 31 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 ofthe drawings, and as each container reaches the first stage treatingstation hereinbefore referred to, namely, the position of the gassingport 48, the gaseous medium, preferably nitrogen gas, will be deliveredthrough that port into the head space in the container for expelling airtherefrom, this momentary introduction of gas taking place onlydurin'g'the actual passing of the container under control of engagementof the complementary, overlying'end closure and the actuator lever I.

As each container next approaches the drop edge portion 40 of themanifold plate 38 and the point at which loose assembly of the containerand the complementary end closure takes place, another air expellingtreatment or gassing of the container will be effected through thehorizontal ports'or slits 81 and the downwardly and forwardly directedports 68 hereinbefore referred to similarly under control of theengagement between the complementary end closure, is. and the actuatorlever 88, the arrangement of the ports or slits 61 being such that two,relatively flat and fan-shaped discharges of the gaseous medium will bedirected into the head space of the passing container. The fan-shapeddischarges of the gaseous medium are directed between the overlying endclosure lland the upwardly and forwardly moving container head space,the action taking place both before and as the container is rising toengage the horizontally disposed end closure. .Before the containerengages the end closure, the end closure has cleared the end of theactuator lever ll, thus shutting off the gase-. ous medium, but within anegligible amount of time, engagement between the container andcomplementary end closure takes place. The progressive movement of acontainer during and at the completion of the treating function of thesecond stage is indicated by dot and dash line container positions inFigure 5.

It is of course to be understood that the details of structure andarrangement of parts may be variously changed and modified without dcparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a manifold plate having aduct therein supplied with a gaseous medium, means foiconveying filledcontainers toward a closing means with the open tops thereof in closeproximity beneath said plate, said plate having a gassing port thereinopening from the duct through the plate bottom in position for directinga gaseous medium from the duct directly into head spaces in containerspassing beneath the plate, a valveengaging over and controlling passageof gaseous medium through said port, and means for actuating said valveto permit an outfiowing of gaseous medium from said port only when afilled container is passing beneath the port thereby to displace airfrom head spaces in containers passing toward the closing means withoutunnecessary wastage of the gaseous medium.

2. In apparatus of the character described. a manifold plate having aduct therein supplied with a gaseous medium. means for conveying filledcontainers toward a closing means with the open tops thereof in closeproximity beneath said plate,means for feeding end closures forattachment to the open tops of said containers with each end closuremoving above the plate and centered over the container which it isdestined to close, said plate having an arcuately recessed end terminusthrough which recess the complementary containers and end closures comeinto loosely assembled .relation and porting disposed about the arcuaterecess in the end terminus of said plate through which gaseous mediumfrom the duct is directed intocontainer head spaces I immediately priorto said loose assembly.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a manifold plate .having aduct therein supplied with a gaseous. medium, means for conveying filledcontainers toward a closing means with the open tops thereof in closeproximity beneath said plate, means for feeding end closures forattachment to the open tops of said containers with each end closuremoving about the plate and centered over the container which it isdestined to close, said plate having an arcuately recessed end terminusthrough which recess the complementary containers and end closures comeinto loosely assembled relation and. porting through which gaseousmedium from the duct is directed into container head spaces immediatelyprior to by to displace air from head spaces in containers and replaceit with the gaseous medium immediately prior to the loose assembly ofcontainers and end closures without unnecessary wastage of the gaseousmedium.

4. In apparatus of the character. described, a manifold plate having aduct therein supplied with a gaseous medium, means for conveying filledcontainers toward a closing means with the open tops thereof in closeproximity beneath said plate, means for feeding end closures forattachment to the open tops of said containers with each end closuremoving above the plate and centered over the container which it isdestined to close, said plate having a gassing port therein opening fromthe duct' through the plate bottom in position for directing a gaseousmedium from the duct into head spaces in containers passing beneath theplate, a valve mounted on said plate and controlling passage of gaseousmedium through said port, and means operated by direct mechanicalcontact of passing and closures for actuating said valve to permit anoutflowing of gaseous medium from said port only when a filled containeris passing beneath the port thereby to displace air from head spaces incontainers passing toward the closing means without unnecessary wastageof the gaseous medium.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a manifold plate having aduct therein supplied with a gaseous medium, means for conveying filledcontainers toward a closing means with the open tops thereof in closeproximity beneath said plate, means for feeding end closures forattachment to the open tops of said containers with each end closuremoving above the plate and centered over the container which it isdestined to close, said plate having a gassing port therein opening fromthe duct through the plate bottom in position for directing a gaseousmedium from the duct into head spaces in containers passing beneath theplate, a valve controlling passage of gaseous medium through said port,said plate also having an arcuately recessed end terminus through whichrecess the complementary containers and end closures come into looselyassembled relation and porting through which gaseous medium from thedust is directed into container head spaces immediately prior to saidloose assembly, a valve means controlling passage of gaseous mediumthrough each of said port and porting, and means operated by contact ofpassing end closures for actuating each said valve means to permit anoutpouring of gaseous medium from said port and porting only when filledcontainers are actually passing.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which said porting includes acentral port centered over the path of travel of the containers anddirected downwardly and in the direction of said travel, and a narrowlongitudinal side port at each side of said path of travel for directingopposed fanshaped discharges of the gaseous medium across said path oftravel.

'7. In apparatus of the character described, means for conveying filledcontainers toward a closing machine, means including a valve disposedclosely over the path of travel of the con- 4 tainers in position fordirecting a gaseous medium directly into the head spaces of containersmoving toward said closing machine thereby to feed the gaseous mediumdirectly into the container head spaces to displace air from said headspaces before the containers are received in the closing machine to beclosed therein, and means for hold- 5 ing said valve closed andpreventing the directing of the gaseous medium into said head spacesexcept when filled containers actually are moving past said valve.

8. In apparatus of the character described, means for conveying filledcontainers toward a closing means, a stationary filled containertreating station, and means including a valve disposed directly over thepath of travel of the filled containers at said station and effective atsaid station and only while a filled container is passing said stationfor directing a gaseous medium directly into the head space of thepassing container for displacing air therefrom.

9. In apparatus of the character described, means for conveying filledcontainers toward a closing means, a plurality of stationary filledcontainer treating stations spaced a distance apart along the path oftravel of the containers, and means including two valves disposedclosely over the path of travel of the containers one at each saidstation in position for being effective only while a filled container ispassing the particular station-for directing a gaseous medium directlyinto the head space of the passing container for displacing airtherefrom.

10. In apparatus of the character described, means for conveying filledcontainer units toward a closing means, means for feeding complementaryend closure units for attachment on said containers, and meanscontrolled by movement of one of the units of each complementarycontainer and closure unit set for directing a gaseous medium into thecontainer head spaces for displacing air therefrom, said last namedmeans including a control valve closely overlying the path of travel ofthe containers and a valve actuating means directly engaging the valveand disposed to be mechanically actuated for opening the valve by directengagement of a passing unit.

11. In apparatus of the character described,

means for conveying filled containers toward a closing means, means forfeeding complementary end closures for attachment on said containers, avalve closely overlying the path of travel of the containers fordirecting a gaseous medium into the container head spaces for displacingair therefrom, valve operating means actuated by direct contact of atravelling closure for opening the valve while the container to beclosed by said closure is passing said valve, and

'means for preventing the feeding of an end closure when no container toreceive it is being fed into the apparatus.

12. In apparatus of the character described, means for simultaneouslyconveying filled containers and end closures therefor with the endclosures spaced above and aligned with said containers, and valve meansdisposed closely over the path of travel of the filled containers andbeneath the complementary closures, and actuating devices thereforactuated mechanically by direct contact by passing end closures fordirecting a gaseous medium directly into the container head spaces fordisplacing air therefrom.

13. In apparatus of the character described, a turret structure forsimultaneously conveying filled containers and end closures thereforwith the end closures spaced above and aligned with the said containers,valve means disposed closely over the containers and beneath saidclosures and controlled by movement of the end closures on said turretstructure for directing a gaseous medium into the container head spacesfor disp acing air therefrom, and valve actuating devices disposed to bemechanically actuated for opening the valve by .direct engagement of apassing end closure, means for feeding filled containers one by one tothe turret structure. means for feeding end closures one by one to theturret structure, and means for preventing the feeding of an end closureto the turret structure when no complementary container is beingfedthereto.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 10 in which the movement controlledmeans includes a seatable and displaceable valve element, a lever.

carrying said element, a spring means normally holding the lever inthevalve element seating position, an actuator ball eng ing the lever,an actuator lever engaging said ball and displaceable by engagementthereof by a moving unit of each complementary container and closureunit set, and an abutment head having a cam surface engaged by the ballwhen the actuator lever is displaced for forcing the ball into valveelement unseating contact with the carrying lever.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 10 in which the valve meansincludes a seatable and displaceable valve element, a lever carryingsaid element, spring means normally holding the lever in the valveelement seating position, an actuator ball engaging the lever, anactuator lever engaging said ball and displaceable by engagement thereofby a moving unit of each complementary container and closure unit set,and an abutment head having a cam surface engaged by the ball when theactuator lever is displaced for forcing the ball into valve elementunseating contact with

